RE: Recommendations on Resource Lands Mapping in Draft Plan...
Transcript of RE: Recommendations on Resource Lands Mapping in Draft Plan...
May31,2017MTCPublicInformation375BealeStreet,Suite800SanFrancisco,CA,94105
RE:RecommendationsonResourceLandsMappinginDraftPlanBayArea2040anditsDraftEnvironmentalImpactReport
Towhomitmayconcern,ThankyouforthisopportunitytocommentontheResourceLandsMapsintheDraftPlanBayArea2040(DraftPlan)andDraftEnvironmentalImpactReport(DEIR).WeappreciateMTCandABAG’scontinuedattentiontoimprovingtheillustrationandanalysisoftheBayArea’snaturalresourcelandsandtheirpolicyprotectionsinPlanBayArea.WhatfollowsareoursuggestionsforrefiningtheDraftPlansothatitmorecomprehensivelyreflectsthenaturalresourcesinourregion.TheseproposedrevisionswillincreasetheaccuracyandutilityoftheDraftPlan,sothatitmaybestguidelanduseandtransportationdecision‐makingacrosstheBayAreaandserveasanexampleforotherregionsacrossthestateandcountry.ResourceLandsMapsWithinPlanBayArea’sStatutorilyRequiredPlanMaps,thePolicyProtectionmaps(MapsS‐5throughS‐13)showagoodrepresentationofthelegislativeeffortstosafeguardtheregion'smajornaturalresources.However,theResourceLandsmaps(MapsS‐14throughS‐21)donotincludeasimilarqualityofdepictionofnaturalvalues.Theseresourcemapsonlydisplayagricultureasthesolitarynaturalresourceintheregion,effectivelyignoringwildlife,carbon,andwatershedresources.Toaddressthisinadequacy,werecommendthattheResourceLandsmapsberevisedtoexhibitthebestscientifically‐acceptedmaplayerstoaccountforfourimportantnaturalresourcecategories:
Wildlife habitat Carbon storage Watershed lands Agricultural lands
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WhatfollowsisamoredetaileddescriptionofhowtheResourceLandsmapsshouldreflectthethreemissingnaturalresourcecategories.Thetableattheendofthisletterprovidesdatasourcesforthefollowingrecommendations,includinghyperlinkstomaplayersandnotes.1.WildlifehabitatOurprimaryrecommendationistousetheConservationLandsNetwork(CLN)torepresentWildlifeHabitatsintheResourceLandsmaps,astheseareascomprisethemostessentiallandsneededtosustainthebiodiversityoftheSanFranciscoBayArea.TheCLNisacollaborative,science‐basedefforttomapterrestrialuplandhabitatsandrarelandscapesforbiodiversityconservation.ThisresearchdatasetwascreatedinconsultationwithgovernmentagenciesfocusingontheBayArea,includingacommitteecomprisedofmembersfromthefollowinggovernmentagencies:Federal
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service US National Park Service US Fish and Wildlife Service
State California Department of Fish and Game California State Parks University of California, Davis, UC Reserve System California State Coastal Conservancy
Regional Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Marin County Open Space District Sonoma County Water Agency Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department San Francisco Bay Joint Venture East Bay Regional Park District
TovisualizethisdatasetinasingleResourceLandsmap,werecommendusingtheCLNfieldsof“Essential,”“Important,”and“Fragmented”habitat.OursecondaryrecommendationforWildlifeHabitatistousetheDepartmentofFishandWildlife’scoarserlayertoshowareasimportantforpreservingbiologicalrichness,calledtheAreasofConservationEmphasis.ToincludethislayerontheResourceLandsmaps,itmaybenecessarytoselectathresholdofbiologicalrichnessanddisplaythoseareasthatareabovethisthreshold.
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2.WatershedlandsCaliforniacountiesarecurrentlyupdatingtheirgroundwatermanagementplansunderthemandateoftheSustainableGroundwaterManagementAct.Ourrecommendationistoincludethegroundwaterbasinlayer(Figure2.12‐3ofthePBA2040DEIR)intheResourceLandsmapstorepresentWatershedLandsshowingthedistributionofthisvitaldrinkingandirrigationwaterresource.3.CarbonstorageTheemergenceofnewandupdateddatasetsprovideagreatopportunitytoshowimportantlandsforcarbonsequestrationandstoragethathelpaddressSB375'smandatetoreduceemissionsofcarbondioxideandothergreenhousegases.Abovegroundcarbonsourcesincludeforestsandwoodybiomasswhilebelowgroundcarbonincludessoilorganiccarbonsuchasinwetlandsandagriculturallands.OurrecommendationistocombineabovegroundandbelowgroundsourcesthatsignificantlycontributetocarbonstorageandsequestrationintheResourceLandsmaps.ToincludetheselayersontheResourceLandsmap,itmaybenecessarytoselectathresholdofcarbonstockdensityanddisplaythoseareasthatareabovethisthreshold.MapsintheDraftPlanFarmsandranchesareacorefoundationofthecultureandeconomyoftheBayArea,andweapplaudtheinclusionofMap1.2onp.17ofPBA2040DraftPlanshowingrecentdevelopmentonnaturalresourcelands.WhilethisstoryiscriticaltokeepintheDraftPlan,itcontainsonenotableshortcoming:whilepurportingtodisplay“resourcelands,”itonlyincludesfarmlandandgrazingland–ratherthandisplayingthemanyotherimportantnaturalresourcelandtypesacrosstheregion.OurprimaryrecommendationtoremedythissituationistoincludethefullbreadthofresourcelandsacrosstheBayAreainthismap.Oursecondaryrecommendationistochangethenameto“HistoricalDevelopmentPatternandAgriculturalLands.”DraftEnvironmentalImpactReportTheUSDepartmentofAgricultureandtheNationalParkServicehaverecentlypublishedspatialdatashowingabovegroundcarbonandbelowgroundcarbon.ThisdatamustbeassessedinPlanBayArea2040EnvironmentalImpactReport.TheavailabilityofthesenewdatalayersprovideadirectconnectiontoSB375’smandatetoreducegreenhousegasemissions.Urbandevelopment,transportationprojects,andlandconversioncanreduceoreliminatealandscape’sabilitytostoreandsequestercarbonandthereforerequireanalysisintheEIR.Linksandnotesonthedatasourcesareincludedintheattachedspreadsheet.BayAreaGreenprintAsthelatestscientificdatabecomesavailablefortheBayArea’snaturalresources,it’scriticaltoprovideanopenavenueforallstakeholderstohaveaccesstothisinformation.AnewonlineconservationplanningplatformcalledtheBayAreaGreenprintTool(bayareagreenprint.org)is
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nowavailabletoprovideadetailedmap‐basedsourceforthelatestresearchanddataonthefournaturalresourcecategoriesdescribedabove.PlanBayAreaandtheGreenprintToolcanbeverycomplimentaryefforts.PlanBayAreaoffersavaluableregionalvisionforgrowth,identifyingtheneedtoguidegrowthappropriatelyinourregion.Meanwhile,theBayAreaGreenprintTooloffersamap‐basedplatformtobetterunderstandtheregion’smultiplenaturalresourcevaluesandassessopenspaceimpactsfromtransportationanddevelopmentprojects.WelookforwardtopartnershipopportunitiestoexplorehowtheGreenprintToolcanbemostefficaciousinadvancingthePlanBayAreavisionandinintegratingconservationvaluesinourlocalandregionalplanningdecisions. Sincerely, Adam Garcia Planning & Research Manager Greenbelt Alliance 415-543-6771(x326)
Natural Value
ExistingLayers
Primary Recommendationfor Resource Map Layers
Secondary Recommendationfor Resource Map Layers
NaturalValue
ExistingLayers
Recommended Layers
Farmland sufficient
GrazingLand
sufficient
Include Groundwater basins -source: Figure 2.12-3, PBA 2040 DEIR
Include Conservation Lands NetworkInclude CA Biological
Richness - Areas ofConservation Emphasis
source link: Bay Area Open Space Council source link: CA Dept Fish & Wildlifeview link: CLN map view link: view ACE II map
Combine Soil organic carbon and…source link: USDA
notes: Nationwide dataset from gSSURGO, …Above ground carbon biomass into a
single Carbon layersource link: NPS, USDA
report link: Aboveground carbon changes in CAnotes: Living, aboveground carbon density o
sufficientParks,
Easements, PCAs
Plan Bay Area 2040: Recommendations for Resource Lands Map & DEIR Carbon Sources
Layers in the Resource Lands MapLayers in the
Policy Protection Map
none -
Wildlife
Williamson Act
sufficient
WatershedFlood Risk
Areassufficient-->Watershed none
none
none
Agriculture
Carbon
General none
Combine Farmland andGrazing Land into a
single Agricultural Lands layer
- none
no known geographically specific policies
protecting carbon stocks
-->
sufficientWildlifeCritical Habitat
General-->
Carbon
-->
Agriculture-->
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